Clutch mechanism



May 18,1926. 1,584,846

M. O. CLAUSS CLUTCH MECHANISM Original Filed July 25, 1919 ATTORNEYAPatented May 18, 1926.

'MAX G. CLAUSE, 0F NEW' YORK, N. Y.

sturen unicnanrsiu'.

Original application filed vl'uly 25, 1919, Serial No. 313,415. Bivdedand this application filed 'February 13, 1922. Serial N'o. 536,378.

rlhis invention relates to clutch mecha nism, and more particularly toclutch mechanism of the type adapted to stop a machine after theperformance of a single operation or a predetermined number ofoperations by the machine.

This application is a division of my application, Serial No. 313,415,filed July 25, 1919, for label attaching machines, and the clutchmechanism hereinafter described is especially intended to be used forcont-rolling the operation of label attaching machines or the like. ltis recognized, however, that the invention is not restricted in its useto such machines, and it is accordingly intended that the scope of theinvention shall not be limited eXcept as is required by the claims.

An object of the invention is to provide a clutch mechanism in the useof which the starting and stopping of the driven member will be veryquick and reliable, and which is simple inconstruction so that it may bevery cheaply manufactured and it is not likely to get out of order.

To this end an important feature of the invention consists in theprovision of a driving; element and a driven member adapted to beoperatively connected together, and a part mounted on and movablerelatively to the driven member and operable to disconnect said memberfrom the driving element.

Preferably, and in the illustrated construction, the starting,` of 'themovement of the driven member is effected by manually controlled meansoperable to move` said partwith relation to the driven member, and afurther feature of the invention resides in the provision of novel meansfor manually operating said part. f

Further obl'ect-s and features of the invention will appear as thedescription proceeds7 and will be pointed out in the appended claims. l

ln the drawings in which like reference characters designate identicalparts in the various views: f

1 is a view in side elevation of a clutch mechanism constructedinaccordance with the invention and applied to a label attachingmachineycertain of the parts of the clutch mechanism beingshowninsection, and

Figi. 2 is also a view in side elevation but showing` other parts insection, and

mounted upon driven shaft 14, which is" journaled in suitable bearings16 fixed to the frame plate 18 of the label attaching machine, and isprovided with an annular' beveled friction face 20. rlfhe shaft 14Cisformed with a tubular portion 22 to accommodate a reciplofatory clutchactuating rod 24. A transversely disposed pin 26 iixed in this rod isshift-able in the slots 28 formed in the tubular section of the shaft14. The entremities of this pin are fixed in a collar 30 looselysurrounding` the shaft 14, and with this collar the bifurcated arm 32 ofa bell crank lever 34 is operatively engaged. This lever is fulcrumed at36 upon the frame plate 18.

To the end of the rod 24, projecting beyond the end of the shaft 14, aclutch disk 3S is fixed, said disk being faced with leather or othersuitable friction material 40 for engagement with the face 2O of thepower driven element 10. A coil spring l2 sur-l rounds the shaft 14 andbears at one Vof its ends against the collar 30 and at its other endagainst a collar All fined on said shaft.

Upon the main operating shaft l5 of the machine a worm gear 4S is fixedand is operatively encased by a worin 50 secured on the shaft lei- Atappet member 52 is pivotcd at one of its ends as at 5d upon the face ofthe worm gear 48 and is yieldingly held against pivotal movement in aclockwise direction away from a suitable stop member (not shown) bymeans of a spring' 5G. The tappet member 52 is normally positioned asshown in Fig. 1 and has a lip or projection 58 on its free end. Aftereach complete rotation of the worm gear i8 a roller G0 carried by thetappet member 52 strikes upon the laterally extending' arm 62 of thebell crank lever 34 and oscillates said lever on its fulcrum, as shownin Fig. 1, to thereby move the collar 30 on the shaft 1+i against theaction of the spring` il2 and thus axially shift the rod 2st within thetubular portion of .said shaft to move the clutch disk 38 away from theclutch face 2O of the power Cil elementi l0. In this manner, thetransmission et rotation to the Worin 50 is discontinued and the machinepromptly brought to a stop.

Manually operable means is provided for releasing the tappet member fromengagement with the clutch shitting` lever C'-lr,

bottoni 'tace T0 arranged as to limit the rocking' movement ot theshalt. A coil .spring- (not shoivn) sirrounding the rock shaftyieldii'ifg'ly hold. t ie ehat't against rotation in one direction ai dtends to retain 'the parts in their normal positions, as seen in Fig. l.To the upper end ot the arm G5 a lever Tl is pivotallvv connected at oneot its ends`r the other end ot' said lever being; upivardljv curved andhaving' a dog 'TG line thereto. In order to support this lever Atohorizontal rectilinear niovenient so that th dog TG ivill properlystrike the lip 5S on 'the tappet member 52, l provide a vieldinejlvsupporting element ot peculiar' construction. This nieinbe' actingas asupport is Y.-'t'orincd .troni a single length otlr spring wire dcsie'--iated generally by TS, said ivire at one ot its ends heine' hingedlyconnected to a slotted plate S0 nxiich is longitudinally adjnstahle.

upon the bed plate S2 and maj7 be secured in its adjusted position bv aset s/'reiv Sl. rlhis Wire is bent to provide a laterally projectingportion 8G at the end ot which one or more springi coils SS are 'formedin the ivire. Freni the spring coils 8S the iv is extended in divergentrelation to the pe 't Sti thereof,

s l t ie shank l ...s shovvn at 8f), and is bent arount et a screw DU,which is threaded i i he lever 74. From this screv.' the ivire extendsdoivnivardlv and has a hook or bend 92 'termed therein within which theportion 8G ot Wire is received. the springcoils S8 tend to iirge thefree end of the lever -l upivardlv ivhile` the termiiial hook 92 in thespring` Wire liniits such np- Ward movement ot the lever. `ilhen the headjusted and raised or lovvered so es to properly position the dog 7G.This dog' striking' upon the hp 5S, shown in do'ttel lo ver end lettivith lines in Fig'. l., vvill nieve the tree ot' the tappet iiieinher52 to the respect to the lever arin G2. and when the tappet member hasbeen moved i'iar enoupgh to carry the. vertical diameter of the roll (l0o() out ol' en o: nient. with the upper tace ot thi aria. parts are thenn tue position shown iii i' i l itsztion thei imparted to the shalt 1land th 'our/Ii thiy worin 5() and vvoi'in gear ld "ne sii lf3. in theiotation ot the ivoi'ni ipeti nieziiher 52 carried 'it fill, i nd at theend olf a nll fion ot the worin geni.' 11S iS lownivai'dlv on the arin(32 lever ill. as shov-:n in Fig l, i chit: h elements and disconinaethe rotation ot' the sha t't i6.

lllhile an;Y preferred means majv be adapt ed tor manually actuating therock sha't't Gil, l have provided for this purpose a verticalljYlisposed lever .()l )ivoted as a 5)(3 in the bii''ur 'ated end ot anarin 9S. 'which is lined on the eii-d ol die rock shaft G1. rlhe leveris formed at its loiver end with a laterally projecting;r luf@V l0()normally held in engagement vvith the loiver edge ot the arm 98 by meansot a springl 102, one end of ivhich is engaged in a groove 'lOl-'l'oi'nied in the end o t the aria 9S, ivhile the other end ot saidspring is lixed to the lever fl-l. At its upper end this lever isequipped with a siiitahle head ltl coiietriicted to he grasped by thehand. Y

The shaft ll has an additional tubular end portion 106 in vfhich one endol' a inanualljT operable crank 108 adapted to be inserted. [it its ei.'einitv this` end oi'. the crank is provided ivith a notch oi' recessllt) to receive pin lli? extending' t,ransvei'seljY through the tubularsection et the shatt. This detachable crank employed -toi' initialljvsetting; the mechanism, a''ter which it is detached and the operation otthe inachine continued hy means ol the inotoi' oi' other poiver.

Having' fullj7 described the invention. what is claimed is:

l. A. mechanism ol the cha 'acter described comprisinu' a driven member,a poivei' actuated driving member`r a clutch mechanism 'for operativelyconnor/tinesaid ineinhers with each other includingv a spring' heldshiiftable part, a pivote-il lever engaged with said clutch part, and anelement carried hv said driving member and adajited to coact vfith saidlever to shiiit said clutch part .in one direction .and disconnected thedriving member from the driven inenihei'.

Q. il mechanism oi the character de.'-1ci'ihed comprising' a drivennieniher. a power aetuated driving' member. a clutch niefgrianisia 'toroperativelj.v connecting' .said nienilfei'sy With each other including aspring' held shittable part, a pivoted lever engaged ivith llt) saidclutch part, an element pivoted at one of its ends upon said drivingmember, and a spring yieldingly1 holding said element in a normalposition for engagement at its other end With said lever to snift theclutch part in one direction and disconnect the driving member from thedriven member.

3. A mechanism ofthe character described comprising a driven member, adriving member, a clutch mechanism for operatively connecting saidmembers With each other including a spring held shiftable clutch part, apivotally mounted lever lengaged at one of its ends With .said shiftableclutch part, and a spring held pivoted element carried by the drivingmember and adapt-ed to engage the other end of said lever to actuate thesame and shift the clutch part in one direction to disconnect thedriving member from the driven member.

il. A mechanism of the character described comprising a driven member, adriving member, a clutch mechanism including a spring held shiftableclutch part, a lever pivotally mount-ed intermediate of its ends andhaving one end engaged with .said shiftable clutch part, and an elementcarried by .said driving member and adapted to engage the other end ofsai-d lever to actuate the same and shift the clutch part to disconnectthe driving member from the driven member.

A mechanism of the character described comprising a driven member, adriving member, a clutch for operatively connecting said members Witheach other including a spring held shiftable clutch part, an l..- shapedlever lever pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends and having onearm thereof engaged with said shiftable clutch part, and a spring heldelement mounted upon the driving member adapted to engage the other-armof said lever to actuate the same and shift the clutch part todisconnect the driving member from the driven meinber.

6. Mechanism for controlling the operation of label attaching machinesand the like, including a driven member, a power actuated drivingelement rotatable relatively to the driven member, an operating niemberactuated by the driven member, clutch means" for operatively connectingthe driven member to the driving element, means normally acting tomaintain such connection, and means for destroying the driving connecion, consisting of a part operatively connected to one of the clutchelements and an actuator carried by said operating member and movablerelatively7 thereto, adapted to co-act With said part at the end of eachcycle of movement of the operating member, a manually operable rockshaft, a member pivotally connected at one of its ends to said sha-ft,and a yieldable supporting element connected to the other end of saidmember and sustaining the same in operative relation to the actuator toengage the latter upon a rocking movement of the shaft in one directionand thereby move the actuator out of engagement With said part to againestablish the driving connection.

r. Mechanism for controlling the operation of label attachingmachinesand the like, including a driven member, a power actuated drivingelement rotatable relatively to the driven member, an operating memberactuated by the driven member, clutch means for operatively connectingthe driven member to the driving element, means normally acting tomaintain suoli connection, means for destroying the driving connection,consisting of a part operatively connected to one of the clutch elementsand an actuator carried by said operating member and movable relativelythereto, adapted to coact With said part at the end of each cycle ofmovement of the operating member, a manually operable rock shaft, amember pivotally connected at one of its ends to said shaft, and aresilient sustaining element connected to the other end of said memberadjustable With respect to the rock shaft to support said member inposition for operative engagement with the actuator upon a rockingmovement of the shaft in one direction to thereby disengage the actuatorfrom said part to again establish the driving connection.

8. lVlechanism for controlling the operation of label attaching machinesand the like, including a driven member, a driving element rotatablerelatively to the driven member, an operating member actuated by thedriven member, clutch means for operatively connecting the driven memberto the driving element, means normally acting to maintain suchconnection, and means for destroying the driving connection, consistingof a part operatively connected to one of the clutch elements and anactuator carried by said operating member and movable relativelythereto, adapted to co-act with said part at the end of each cycle ofmovement of the operating member, a manually operable rock shaft, amember pivotally connected at one of its ends to said shaft, a resilientsustaining element connected to the other end of said member, a plate toWhich said element is hingedly connected, and means for adjusting saidplate relative to the rock shaft, said sustaining element directing saidmember into operative' engagement with the actuator upon a rockingmovement of said shaft in one direction to disengage the actuator fromsaid part and thereby again establish the driving connection.

9. A mechanism of the character described comprising a driven member, adriving member, n clutch mechanism foi' operatively Connecting Suidmemheis with each other ineluding :i spi-ing held Sliii'ftable clutchpuri, i pivotzilly mounted level operatively Connect-ed Wil'h seidclutch part, n spring held element ezli'iied by the driving memhei' loeozie with seid level' and shift` the clutch puit to disconnect thedriving memhei' from the driven member, n manually operable roel; shaft,a deg pivoelly Connected with Suid i'oel shell', und i1 Spring adjusahlymounted :1t one of ils endsl :1nd having its olhei' end eonneeled withwid flog lo yieldine'ly support the laitier in position `for enu gementwith said elementV en Jdie driving n'ienihei lo move the laieioni' oiengagement wil'h Suid lever :md thei'ehy again establish the drivingeoiiiwetieii.

In testimony that; l claim jdie foregoing :is my invention, l havesigned my nume hereunder.

MAX O. CLAUSS.

